$1 18Man SNG AK Early

[Paulos1974]

Hi

First hand thread here, so hope it works out ok.

A fairly basic question really, but I've been thinking about these types of hands recently when they miss(which seems to be a lot recently, lol), after all I know it is good, but only a drawing hand:

pokerstars Game #13945064484: Tournament #70785463, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2007/12/18 - 15:12:36 (ET)
Table '70785463 1' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: xblueskyx (2600 in chips)
Seat 2: Kuzba (1480 in chips)
Seat 3: sibbele (260 in chips)
Seat 4: FLaFFuH (1470 in chips)
Seat 5: fredinho11 (1140 in chips)
Seat 6: Paulos1974 (1480 in chips)
Seat 7: 1krazykarl1 (2010 in chips)
Seat 8: mr solution (1460 in chips)
Seat 9: Dünsch (1600 in chips)
Paulos1974: posts small blind 10
1krazykarl1: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Paulos1974 [Ac Ks]
mr solution: folds
Dünsch: folds
xblueskyx: calls 20
Kuzba: folds
sibbele: calls 20
FLaFFuH: calls 20
fredinho11: calls 20
Paulos1974: raises 80 to 100
1krazykarl1: folds
xblueskyx: calls 80
sibbele: folds
FLaFFuH: calls 80
fredinho11: folds
*** FLOP *** [4c 8s Qs]
Paulos1974: ??????

Only a few hands in and the first hand I've played. On the previous hand bluesky raised pre with 45s and turned a straight.

Appreciate thoughts on next move.

 

[Effexor]

Check / fold.

(1) It's too early to get overly involved here.
(2) I don't like cbetting into 2 people most times.
(3) At these $1 tables people will call you down if they hit anything at all.

Just wait for a better spot.

 

[Ronaldadio]

I agree with Effexor here.

After the flop anyone one with any pair or a flush draw will call or push.

I think you need to take into account the buy in here.

With AK in early position, what I would do at this level ($1.00 buyin) is either put in a very large raise say push it up to 200/ 250.

Then u will know where u stand, probably get heads up. The other option in EP in a small buy in with AKo is to limp and see what the flop brings.

 

[Paulos1974]

Thanks for comments. As I thought really. I see what you mean with a bigger raise pre, what with 4 callers already I wasn't really doing enough to scare people off given pot size already.

Yep, I'm painfully aware of all the extra perils of micro limits like these! But it's all my BR will support right now. I know that if I can fix some leaks I can cash out more often in these games though.

My next move was a leak I guess, because I bet half the pot. Got 1 fold and bluesky called. I got very lucky and turned a K which won me the hand. I agree that this early in the game I should have protected a tight image as I didn't get away with too many more Cbets after that!

I just need to remember all these things whilst I'm playing!

Cheers, I'll have to dig some more hands out.

 

[dj11]

AK in the SB. You did good to narrow the field with the PF raise.

Since this is very early in this contest (possibly first hand early {title of thread is a wee bit confusing}), either of your villains could have anything here. You are first to act. True you have no reads, but neither do they.

I agree with both Effexor and Ronadino, however this is a situation that occasionally, and my guess is more than 50% of the time, needs a continuation bet (c-bet). They have no idea what you have, they only know you liked your hand enough to raise it, so they will be thinking 2 paint or a big ACE, big pair, and any of several other possibilities. It will enter their thinking process that you have a Q, or big pair, and if they are sane you will steal this pot very often. Certainly if this were later in the tourney, a c-bet will take it down most of the time.

I think a bet of 80 chips will give you the info you want. If you get called, or raised you can muck this. Beware that a call here is representing the same thing you were trying to represent. I have seen the phrase 'Right of first refusal' to describe this situation, and all c-bets in general. Basically it suggests if you don't take a shot here, you may get no other shot.

This is the only sane opportunity you might get to steal this pot, and you can fairly well know that if the last to act bets anything it is a positional steal possibility.

Bottom line is this is a situation you do not want to always play the same.

 

[AutoArt]

In a $1 SNG I would have only limped with AK early on, mostly because a lot of times I don't hit anything with AK lol, but also because early on in the tournament I play very, very tight. After that flop I would of checked, depending on the villians bet I might call to see the turn, but if it was big enough I'd def. fold.